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1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to a shelf stable confectionery product having a high nutritional value, controlled texture and a confectionery flavor. More particularly, the invention relates to bar-shaped, wafer-based, biscuit-based, molded chocolate or chocolate-like confectionery products incorporating vegetable solids.
2. Background of the Invention
Vegetables provide fiber and nutrients such as vitamins and minerals which are essential for a healthy, balanced diet. Yet, children are often reluctant to consume vegetables, whether cooked or raw, because they consider them to be generally unpalatable. Thus, they tend not to take advantage of the nutrition that vegetables provide. This can give rise to varying degrees of nutritional deficiency among children which in some instances can lead to serious health problems. A number of food products have been described that incorporate vegetables as one of the components, but none combines nutritional value with a taste and texture as well as a melt-in-the-mouth sensation that children in particular would find enticing. EP 0 461 605 A1 relates to a method of manufacturing a health snack food using a low-moisture vegetable, fruit, beans or seaweed as a major ingredient. The snack food also contains saccharide ranging from 5 to 35% by weight. The final product is relatively dry which makes it difficult to chew and swallow, especially for children.
WO 83/03524 relates to a process of preparing marzipan-like products from fruits and vegetables containing at least 70% of a dry substance. The starting material is prepared by reducing vegetables to pulp and mixing with other components such as concentrated lactalbumin preparation and a wetable, gel-forming stabilizing composition. The final product, which is shaped, and coated if desired, by techniques conventionally used in the confectionery industry, is a water and oil emulsion in the form of a gel that has a distinctive texture of marzipan. The final product does not give a sensation of melting in the mouth and it retains the characteristics of the vegetable component.
GB 408.368 relates to a method for preparing sweetmeat consisting of slices of potatoes or other vegetables coated with chocolate. The vegetables are cleaned, sliced thinly, and fried or otherwise cooked. The fried slices are then dipped in melted chocolate and the final coated product is allowed to set. Despite the confectionery glazing, this method products a food product having an interior component that retains the taste and texture of vegetable. Also, frying the shortenings yields a product that can become rancid over a short period in addition to being difficult to digest.
DE-A-2746479 relates to a confectionery containing an adulterant such as shredded dried beet, bran, or vegetable fiber to improve digestion and reduce the sensation of hunger. Small amounts of vegetable fiber having specific digestive properties are incorporated into the confectionery product to promote digestion or to suppress appetite. This food product would not be considered appropriate for normal, healthy children.
DE-0-4224356 relates to a snack food comprising a nutritive material such as meat, sausage, egg or vegetables, in addition to a flavoring, preservative, or a binder such as chocolate or sugar binder. Because the nutritive material is simply mixed with the confectionery binder, the product retains the natural taste and texture of the vegetable or meat component.
Thus, there exists a need to manufacture a food product that not only can function to supplement one""s daily dietary needs but which children in particular would simultaneously find highly appealing because of the product""s confectionery-like taste and texture, including a melt-in-the-mouth sensation. The present invention provides such type of products and process for preparing them.
The present invention is directed to nutritious, vegetable-based food products that have a taste and texture that children in particular would find highly agreeable, and to methods for preparing them. In particular, the invention provides a nutritious, vegetable-based food product that has the characteristics of a confectionery product such as chocolate but which can be used as an alternative to fresh vegetables.
The confectionery or food product of the present invention comprises fat and non-cereal vegetable solids in which the non-cereal vegetable solids are present in the form of particles in an amount of at least about 15% by weight of the confectionery product. The non-cereal vegetable solids are mixed with a continuous phase of fat to provide a shaped, fat-based product upon setting. Preferably, the non-cereal vegetable solids are present in an amount of about 30% to about 60% by weight to provide sufficient nutritional value to the confectionery product. The confectionery product can simultaneously satisfy the craving for sweets and serve as a valuable supplement to the daily nutritional needs of an individual particularly those of a child.
The non-cereal vegetable solids in the set product are preferably in the form of finely ground particles similar in size to those of cocoa solids in solid chocolates. The particles in the present invention, including the embedded vegetable solids, are surrounded by a continuous fat phase. The fat preferably remains solid at room temperature but preferably melts within a relatively short period of time when placed in the mouth so as to give a melt-in-the-mouth sensation. Preferably, the fat-surrounded particles are of a size such that they impart to the present product a texture similar to that of a chocolate product. The particle size of the vegetable solids in the product is preferably about 80 microns or less, more preferably about 40 microns or less, and even more preferably about 30 microns or less. The size of the solid vegetable particles should be such that the vegetable solids can be used as a substitute for part or all of the cocoa solids, sugar solids, or milk solids while keeping the texture of the set mass substantially similar to that of pure chocolate. In particular, the particle size should be such that the final confectionery product possesses a smooth and non-gritty texture. The preferred particle size should also facilitate or enhance the flow properties of the product during the molding process.
In a preferred embodiment, the vegetable solids are added to the fat, and the resulting mixture is refined down to the desired particle size using roll refiners. Roll refiners are 3- to 5-cylinder refiners which are generally used for refining chocolate masses. Alternatively, the solid vegetable particles are ground using a grinding mill, before mixing with the fat, to less than about 80 microns, preferably to less than about 40 microns, and more preferably to less than about 30 microns. Ingredients such as sugar, cereal-based components, flavors, and coloring materials can be added to the vegetable-and-fat base composition.